Terror suspects ‘let into UK by inexperienced staff at Heathrow’

Terror suspects have been allowed to enter the country through Heathrow Airport because new staff do not know the correct security procedures, a UK Border Agency official has claimed.

Extra staff have been recruited to help deal with the queues at Britain’s busiest airport ahead of the Olympics, but questions have now been raised about whether they received proper training.

New staff were recruited to deal with the queues at Heathrow (PA)

One experienced Heathrow official told the Observer the inexperienced workers at passport control had repeatedly missed passengers who were on a Home Office watch list and should have been referred to counter-terrorism police or MI5.

The senior border officer, who asked not to be named, said he knew of three incidents of terror suspects being waved through since the start of July.

He said: ‘The missing of counter-terrorism “hits” is a huge thing, but new recruits are not getting enough time to be taught.

‘It is vital these people do not get in without being noted and that the information is passed to the police or security services.

‘Once they’re in, you’ve no idea where they might be going.’

Another employee claimed five people on the Home Office list were missed in a single day earlier this month.

The newspaper alleged some staff working on passport desks had received only a day’s training instead of the usual six to eight weeks.

However, a border force spokesman said: ‘All staff being deployed will have the necessary security clearance and will have received the training required to operate effectively.

‘Contingency staff will only be carrying out tasks for which they have been fully trained.’